Editorial: A bonus for pedalers and walkers

The recent visit to Castlegar by provincial Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Coralee Oakes was timely.

The Minister’s announcement was also very much appreciated by the growing number of people who recognize the value of a lifestyle that includes meaningful and effective excercise.

Minister Oakes shared the news that a hundred thousand dollars is being handed over by the provincial government for the construction of a walking/bike trail in the City of Castlegar.

The importance of such activities to a community are huge in terms of the overall health of our citizens. But putting together appealing infrastructure of this sort will also serve to cater to potential visitors with that kind of activity in mind.

It’s a win-win in terms of fitness, both physical and fiscal, and it comes in as green a package as we could hope for.

Glowing examples of areas getting on this kind of bandwagon exist in ever-growing numbers. One that comes to mind is Whistler, with an impressive network – hundreds of kilometres of trails – that beckons tourists from around the world. Our setting may not be as well-known as Whistler but the beauty of our region takes a back seat to no area. This kind of development is exactly where continuing energy and resources ought to be directed.

The smattering of folks on hand for the announcement were uniformly upbeat about the presentatation, and why not? A prime asset is on the way to complementing what we already have in this community… something that almost all of us can enjoy.

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